Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

Well, it’s new for me: so far, apart from a few newbie mistakes, I am pleased with what I have been able to do. This, for a price far less than I was paying elsewhere, is a really pleasant situation.
Should you wish to you could visit, directly, Vexxhost via this link, to search for a plan fitting your requirements.

The previous hosting service, with whom I was for several years, offended me by its actions concerning payment. They are based in Toronto, and Vexxhost is based in Montréal. Two massively different cities, the latter containing my younger daughter, in Pointe Claire. Prior to divorce, I had relatives in Toronto, of a distant sort. They have gone and so has SoftCom.

There were machinations that I have been involved directly with, or was told about, concerning Lori McConkey. The transfer of hosting companies has resulted in the loss of the article on the original blog. The Ottawa Citizen has an article about the stabbing incident at the café.
However, here is a link to some information regarding the AE Micro Internet Café that once was situated near the corner of Somerset/Bank in Ottawa: firstly: http://mattoid.com/data/Detritus/AE_horror_story.htm
Then, there was this that I found: http://www.canadianjusticereviewboard.ca/article-seize_property.htm about McConkey’s parents’ crack house.
These are some of the people then living on the street, Spadina in west of Chinatown, Ottawa. They are standing in front of the house in question.

I have, with real enjoyment, read ‘The Stillborn God’ by Mark Lilla, Vintage Books, 978-1-4000-7913-1. This Vintage edition has a purposefully written afterward. The final sentence cannot possibly be what was written, or intended, by the author.
The final paragraph of the afterword refers both to the Great Separation and the current Muslim world.
Whence, ‘. . . it does mean that they will have to find the theological resources within their own traditions to make it happen. And that will be up them, not us’.
Really now, should there not be the word ‘to’ in that last sentence? I burst out laughing, because this phrase is well known in the UK. Anyone who has seen ‘I’m all right, Jack’, starring Peter Sellers, will know why this is not a term of endearment.
On the last day of January I received a reply from Professor Lilla, viz. ‘Ouch’. Enough said.
(Originally published January 2009)

The parties involved in the Ottawa bus strike, both sides of the matter, are certainly worth the ultimate gooseberry (you should be from the UK to appreciate the accolade).
The malls are empty, people are strangling the roads during the rush hours because everyone who has a car is now using it needlessly for travelling to work.
It is a disaster, that has persisted and persisted. This in the capital city of Canada. It begs the question: why did you vote for that criminal O’Brien, and his unhappy band of fellow-travellers? The social cost is enormous and not just in terms of health for those held prisoner in their homes.
In Montréal this never would have happened: public transport is regarded as a public service. This must be made so here too, in Ottawa.
The paucity of information, the lack of action: whilst both the public and businesses in most areas suffer horribly in this snowy, cold and intemperate weather.
The strikers, who are certainly suffering from financial stress, now that they have been out for so long, probably think they should apply for part of the new issuance of $500,000, on top of the original $200,000 that was to help the economically afflicted, and all of those disabled or at any rate unable to travel anywhere. This money would not have to be spent if the strike had gone to grandfathering and/or arbitration.
The car owners are seemingly unaware of the fate of others, although some have helped: notably concerning that poor woman who was having to walk 6 hours each way to fulfil her night shift obligations. The store, one of the Loeb chain, was seemingly unaware of her circumstances, but that seems impossible, unless management and/or her co-workers were totally blind. The lady was helped by articles in the Ottawa Citizen and, although she seems inordinately afraid of people, it would seem that all will be in order for her and she will be taken to and from work in volunteers’ vehicles.

Here, below, is a guy that might have brought some charisma and made the parties in the strike talk to each other. Fat chance, sadly. There has been some movement by the City Council of late, told us on January 25th., but one shouldn’t hold ones breath.

Below is a tiny part of the audience at the inauguration in DC, January 20th.: these were happy people, unlike the inhabitants of that other capital city, to the north, the great white north, of Washington DC.

Mattoid blog: anything that is a subject found on the site http://mattoid.com
That would include all and everything, wouldn’t it? The author has been peripatetic in his interests, never staying still on any subject. So, feel free, if you become a member, to introduce any matter worth the effort. (Originally posted January 23rd., 2009)